Living on the Edge

Chip Ingram: Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Have you ever been the recipient of prejudiced? I mean, someone prejudges you because of your race or your sex? What's it feel like when people judge you and they don't even know you? They put you in a box, worse yet.

What happens when we do that in the church? That's today on Living on the Edge. We all walked into our biases. We didn't choose them. They were handed to us by family, culture, history, and years of assumption we never stopped to question. Today, Chip Ingram opens Acts chapter 10 and makes a case that's as pointed as it is honest.

The question isn't whether you're prejudiced, it's how much and what God wants to do about it. I'm Dave Drewry and this is Living on the Edge, continuing Chip series The Jesus Revolution. Now, after the message, Chip will be sharing about our mid-year match, so stay with us. Well, here's Chip with his message titled, Perpetuate Prejudice.

Of all the diabolical things that we've discussed that are subtle, this may be the most diabolical way that Satan brings death and destruction to people. I want to walk through a very clear explanation of what prejudice is, how it develops. And here's, here's the thing, you can kind of relax.

This message is not about, are you prejudiced or not? Please, no, no, no, no, no. This message is only about how prejudiced you are. Everybody is prejudiced. Okay? Now, let me show you why. First, we are all born into a cultural bias. You grow up in a family, in a culture, in a language, with a religious orientation. You learn during that time, there's a bias. You looked at life through a lens that came from parents and grandparents, and where you came from, and the part of the country, or the part of the world.

Second, apart from interaction outside our group, we grow up assuming our view accurately defines reality. You're a little kid and you don't, you don't know any better. And they say, this is what's true about black people, this is what's true about those white people, this is what's true about people from the South, you know those people from California, what they're like. Well, here's how rich people are. Well, you know those homeless people, what their real problem is, they need to, all those things are implanted into your mind.

Third, generations of socialization and indoctrination create barriers at best and hatred at worst with those that are different from ourselves. See, we always, out of our insecurities, when anyone is different from us, it creates a barrier. Notice, for internal inaccurate assessment. It's a nice way of saying pride.

Internal inaccurate assessment. This is who you really think you are. And external inaccurate assessment. That's prejudice. Results in the fulfillment of Satan's agenda, to kill, and to steal, and destroy. Millions of people, millions of people have died.

Because deeply rooted in the psyche of little boys and girls growing up was, those people deserve to die. They're from that tribe. They're from that ethnic background. Historically, they're from that religion, we need to kill them. This religion, we need to kill them. Satan has had a heyday with prejudice, and it's rooted in, we're okay, and we're better, and we're superior, and those that are different, we dehumanize them, so then when we do terrible things, we can justify it.

This is all nice and theoretical out there, but it's not so nice and theoretical when it gets up close. I'm this 28-year-old, non-prejudiced person. And I find myself in my first pastorate, in a little rural town in Texas, where people use the N-word and argue about the KJV versus the NIV translation in the same sentence.

It was a world that I'd never seen. John Deere hats, skull under the lip, gun in the back of the pickup, and the public swimming pool purchased by a couple business people and filling it in in 1968 lest black and white children swim together.

And for a year and a half, I just thought how narrow and bigoted and redneck they were. And how prejudiced I became toward them for their prejudiced. And how superior I was to them. And I remember God whispering about a year and a half into my journey as the young suburban pastor, you know, Chip, I love these people.

I sent you here to love them, but you're not doing very well. All you do is judge them. And every time you see a gun in the back of a pickup, or a John Deere hat, or you, you generalize and you label and you think they're all the same, and you don't see them the way I see them. And I went on a journey to learn how to love people that were very different than me.

And I realized I was deeply prejudiced. And so in God's great ironic humor he says, well, step one is there, now I'm going to take you to Santa Cruz. And so, you know, highest per capita of lesbians and and they're sort of the Santa Cruz mindset. And for at least a year and a half or two, I remember sitting in different places watching people and just thinking, this is nuts.

And I, it's like God had to whisper a little louder, hey Chip. I love these people. You don't even like them. Let alone love them. And I went on a journey. And went on a journey where I, I asked God and I began to see, I need to see people the way God sees people. And you know what I learned after a couple years there?

I was an eight or a nine in prejudiced, not a two or a three. Jews and Gentiles at this point in historic cultural history hate one another. This is like the head of the NAACP and the KKK becoming friends. That's what it's like. And there's only one power, there's only one thing that can break those kind of things down. And here's the story, it's in Acts chapter 10. And the story is the gospel smashes hundreds of years of prejudice and hatred.

And notice it's through an enlisted soldier and a fisherman. It's not through powers, it's not through legislation, it's not through some elite group. There's an enlisted soldier in the Roman army who's oppressing the Jews, and there is a Jew who's a blue collar worker who's been following an itinerant preacher named Jesus, and a transformation occurs where things that have been embedded in his soul and mind and thinking since he was a little boy, and his father, and his grandfather, and his grandfather before him, the Spirit of God and the gospel liberates him in ways that change the course of history.

I've divided it into a number of vignettes. How did it happen? Let's look first at Cornelius's vision. At Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius, and he was a Centurion. He means he's over 100 soldiers in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and his family were devout and God-fearing, he gave generously to those in need, and he prayed to God regularly.

One day about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, Cornelius. Cornelius stared at him in fear and said, what is it, Lord? And the angel answered, your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a remembrance before me. Now, send to Joppa and to bring back a man named Simon, who's called Peter. He's staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is by the sea.

When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants, and one of his soldiers, who was a devout man, and he told them everything that had happened, and he sent them to Joppa. He's a Gentile. We learn from chapter 11, he's not circumcised. In the, in the polytheism of the day that was just, it just got so messy and so crazy. A number of people honestly seeking after God would actually begin, they wouldn't be necessarily even proselytes, but they were called God-fearers, and they knew there was one true God, and they were reaching out and they would begin to often worship in the outer courts of the temple.

Vignette number two. Peter's been staying with this tanner, and he's hungry, and while he's hungry and they're fixing lunch, something happens. Pick it up at verse 9. About noon the following day, as they were approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.

He saw heaven open and something large like a sheet being let down to the earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. And then the voice said to him, get up, Peter, kill and eat. Peter's response, surely not, Lord, Peter replied. I've never eaten anything impure or unclean.

In that sheet was a number of things that they were forbidden to eat. You might jot in your notes, Leviticus chapter 11. It gives very clear detail about these kind of animals you can eat, these kind you can't. And I mean, it's in the law, he's heard it from a little boy, and now he's having a vision that is breaking with what he's learned all of his life. The voice spoke to him a second time.

Do not call anything impure that God has made clean. This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was still wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius had found out where Simon's house was, and they stopped at the gate. They called out, if this Simon, who's also known as Peter, was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the spirit, he gets this inner nudge, it said to him, Simon, these three men are looking for you, so get up and go downstairs.

Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them. So Peter went downstairs, and he said, I'm the one you're looking for, why have you come? The men said, we come from Cornelius the Centurion, he's a righteous and God-fearing man, who's respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house, so he could hear what you have to say. Then Peter invited the men to the house to be his guests. Mark that, if you will.

This is a good Jew inviting Gentiles into the home, offering hospitality, and he actually because of this ate with them.

Dave: You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We'll have more in just a moment. This month, Living on the Edge is participating in a special mid-year match. Every dollar given in June is being matched one for one by a group of generous partners who want to see this ministry go further. Your gift doesn't just help, it's doubled the moment it arrives. You can get all the details at livingontheedge.org and stick around. Chip will share more about it before we're done today. Right now, back to the message.

Chip Ingram: Vignette number three. Peter goes on a little journey to Cornelius's house. The next day, Peter started out with them along with some brothers, so he's got we learn a little bit later, five or six other Jewish people come, they'll be giving a testimony a little bit later. And they go along with him to Joppa. The following day, he arrived in Caesarea, Cornelius was expecting them and he called together his relatives and close friends.

As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up, said, stand up, I'm only a man myself. And talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. And he said to them, now, think about this. Ever since he's a little boy, he has said they're dirty. They're bad. They're evil.

In fact, the term for a Gentile among the Jews, they're dogs. So his first words are, you are well aware that it's against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile and to visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection.

And this is so great. May I ask why you sent for me? There's not an agenda. He's not like, hey, I'm gonna be the big evangelist. He's like, I've never done this before in my life. I'm probably scared to death. I'm thinking what are all my friends going to think if anybody could see me here, would someone tell me why I'm here? Cornelius answered.

Four days ago, I was in my house praying at this hour at three in the afternoon. And suddenly a man with shining clothes stood before me. And said, Cornelius, God has heard your prayers and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who's called Peter. He's a guest in the home of Simon the Tanner who lives by the sea. So I sent for you immediately and it was good of you to come. Now, we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.

And so, this, he's just a seeker. He just wants to know more about God. And as what the scripture says, when people anytime they take honest steps toward God, God's going to reveal himself. And so Peter's going to come and now Peter's going to realize, next vignette, I'm supposed to share the gospel with these people. In Peter's mind, this truth, this gospel, this Messiah is for our little group. It's for the Jews, he's our Messiah.

And God is going to do an amazing thing. Then Peter began to speak. He's going to give, we, we basically get the footnotes. I mean, just, just the high points of his sermon. I now realize how true it is that God doesn't show favoritism, but he accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. And that word accepts doesn't mean they become Christians. It means literally, the Hebrew word is, he lifts his face in favor.

In every nation, when God sees people that are open, he says, he lifts his face, he, he favors them. He goes on to say, this is the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord or sovereign over all. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after his baptism, that he had, that John had preached?

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all those that were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they killed him by hanging him on a tree. But God raised him up from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.

He wasn't seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen. By us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us then to preach to all the people and to testify that he's the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. And all the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

Vignette number six. While Peter was still speaking these words, he's got no control. He can't take credit. And by the way, later, he, he's going to say, hey, it wasn't me, guys. He's going to get a lot of trouble from his friends. What were you doing hanging out with those Gentiles? You mean you actually went in the house? Notice it. While I was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all those who heard the message.

The circumcised believers, or the Jews, who had come with Peter were astonished. Literally, the word means they were struck in awe. Their jaw dropped. Their eyes got wide. This can't be, but it is. Because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been given to them, even it has to the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God, and then Peter said, can anyone keep these people from being baptized?

With water? They've received the Holy Spirit just the way we have. In other words, Acts chapter 2, I gave a message, God did this. Jews happened. Later on, chapter 8, when the Samaritans came to Christ, they believed, and then I came and John came and we prayed for him, same thing happened. And now, I didn't even get to finish my message. Boom!

God has now included the Gentiles into his church. So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus, they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. And then just edging into chapter 11, the word got out. And the apostles and the brothers throughout all of Judea heard that the Gentiles had received the word of God. So we're thinking they're excited. This is awesome.

They've come to Christ, the savior of the world, all those Old Testament passages, the blessings of Abraham, to all nations. It's going to be great, right? Wrong. So when Peter went to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers, the Jewish believers, criticized him and said, you went into the house of an uncircumcised men and you ate with them? And Peter explained everything precisely as it happened.

God broke through prejudice. Prejudice keeps the love of God from moving from you to another person that's different than you, because you have ingrained thinking about them, and you perceive them and think of them in ways that make a wall between you and them. And what I want to suggest is very clearly in each of these vignettes, there's a very specific application about how God wants to remove the walls that we've built.

Principle number one from verses 1 through 8. God is working in places and among people we assume he doesn't. Okay? He's working in places and among people. If you would have asked Peter, do you think God is speaking to some of those Roman soldiers that are oppressing your people? Peter would have said, no way. Don't, don't, don't you dare believe that some of the weirdest people that are different from you, that God isn't working.

Assume he's working in everyone, everywhere, all the time, and he wants to use you. Principle number two. Prayer is the prerequisite to seeing others differently than our cultural bias out of verses 9 through 16. Good Jews prayed in the morning and they prayed at night. There was a three hour prayer meeting as well.

But Peter was just hungry. He just said, I'm gonna go on the roof. And he's talking with God. Unless your mind gets renewed and unless you're talking with God and being open and honest, he can't reveal things to you. So you stay stuck in your little box of your group and your background. You have yours, I have mine, everyone has theirs.

Prayer is the prerequisite to seeing others different than our cultural bias. Because Peter met with God, he could hear God, and God prepared him. All that stuff about the sheet and the animals. He, he's, oh, I get it. Don't call anything unclean that God calls pure. And so here's the practice, ask God to let you see others the way he does.

I want to look people through the lens of eternity. Are they heaven bound or hell bound? I want to look at through the lens of need. How would Jesus look at them? What would he want? You don't have to agree with people's politics, their religion, their sexual orientation, you don't have to agree, but you can love them. It's what Jesus did. It's why he got in so much trouble.

The early church got in a lot of trouble. We're not getting in enough trouble. We need to start loving people very different than us. I, I can't do that. Certain prejudices are ingrained in my mind for years. So I ask, and God will answer that prayer. Three, walls of prejudice often come down a few bricks at a time from verses 17 to 23.

Peter didn't go from this diehard prejudiced Jew with Gentiles. You know, first of all, it was like, you know, I'm kind of far away from, from the home base there in Jerusalem. I, I, I'll just stay with this tanner. I mean, he's ceremonially unclean, but you know, it's a little baby step and then pretty soon when Cornelius's guys come, he let them in the house. Then he traveled with him. He, he did a lot of baby steps that were absolutely forbidden.

And I, I can only think that he just, he knew, you know, like I love one translation says, it says when he crossed the threshold. When he went inside that Gentile house, it was like, uh oh baby, there's no turning back. I have just violated everything that I have been taught all my life. I'm in the house of a dog. But you know what? That's my opinion.

That is my prejudice. No, I'm in the house of a God-fearing man that the spirit of God is wooing and drawing and actually sent an angel and God cares about him. So I need to care about him and I need to put away my stuff and my prejudice and my background and what anybody else thinks and I need to love him and share the love of Christ and he did. And you're here today because he did, fellow Gentile. And so here's the practice.

The practice is take small steps this week to connect with someone much different than you. And you know what? Just pick some baby, let's start taking some bricks off the wall, okay?

Dave: You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And a message titled, Perpetuate Prejudice. Chip has a personal word coming right up, so stay close. Want to go back and hear any message in this series from the beginning? Find the Living on the Edge podcast on any major platform, subscribe and take the whole series with you. Full length sermons are also on the Chip Ingram Sermon podcast.

Cornelius was a Roman Centurion, the occupying enemy, and Peter was a Jewish fisherman whose people had been under that boot his entire life. Every wall imaginable stood between them, history, ethnicity, religion, culture, and God arranged a meeting. Peter needed a vision on a rooftop just to get him moving, and even then, he crossed the threshold of that Gentile house, knowing full well what it would cost him when he got back to Jerusalem.

But he went, and Chip says that's the pattern, walls come down a few bricks at a time, and someone has to go first. Well, here's Chip with a word about what that kind of courage can do and what it costs.

Chip Ingram: Here's something I've noticed, the enemy doesn't waste his time on things that aren't working. He goes after what's bearing fruit. In Acts chapter 6, the early church is growing fast, lives are being changed, communities are being transformed. And that's exactly when the opposition shows up, both from within and from without. Right now I'm presenting a teaching called The Jesus Revolution, and the message is both sobering and deeply encouraging.

When your faith is under attack, it may be the clearest sign that you're living in a way that really, really matters. In other words, when you start making a difference, attack often comes. Here's what you need to remember. The early church didn't retreat when pressure came, they advanced. And this June, I'm asking you to advance with us. Your gift to the mid-year match, every dollar matched, is your declaration that the opposition, the enemy, simply will not get the last word.

Dave: Under attack? Advance. That's what the early church did. And that's what your gift says right now. Join the mid-year match and let every dollar work twice as hard this June. Give online at livingontheedge.org, or call us at 888-333-6003. Or send your donation through the mail by writing to us at Living on the Edge, P.O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia 30024.

The enemy doesn't get the last word. Give today. Again, just go to livingontheedge.org or call us at 888-333-6003. Well, I'm Dave Drewry. Next time, Chip finishes the story, what happened when Peter finally walked through that door, and what it means for the walls in your own life. That's ahead on Living on the Edge.

Today's program is produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge.